What They're Saying - The Bulldogs Media Thread - Part 4

[Bulldogs85]

For a club that preaches a safe and inclusive space, for all this to come to light is disgusting how they’ve treated this bloke after it all. Club continues to disappoint me lately.

The club is a safe and inclusive place under the current leadership

 

[dogwatch]

I just think no one would have even thought to speak up, if they'd even noticed. These people aren't actually open about what they do and even if someone noticed - they may not have unless they were alerted somehow - they would have felt embarrassed about confronting the bloke and probably rationalised to themselves that it "wasn't much" and "was only a one-off". Particularly if he was a friendly "mate" of everyone. People trade on how they are perceived.

Probably some truth in this. It’s easier to rationalise it away without having to confront the enormity of what was really going on.

It’s easy to be critical now but let’s be honest - who among us would have done a whole lot better at that time? We’d certainly like to think we would.

From a much earlier report - maybe a year or two ago - I took it that a lot of people did know or at least suspected what was going on. I think the bloke already had a whispered reputation. Just like people had known of chronic abuse in the Catholic and other churches for decades.

But as in the churches they looked the other way. Too difficult. Too complex. Not my business. And so on.

 

[Nat Fyfe]

The club is a safe and inclusive place under the current leadership at the club.

Yes this is something everyone should agree on really. People may have differing opinions on what level of ownership we should be taking for the actions of volunteers at the club in the 80s, but nobody should doubt for a second that the club in present time would absolutely not allow anything of this nature to occur.

 

[Fossie 32]

In what way has the club been denied justice?

I guess the terms of the appeal will be enlightening but apart from the amount of the payout it’s hard to see how else it might have played out.

6 x the previous highest penalty if that is right Is not reasonable
To me penalising people who didn’t have any knowledge of the offence 30 years on so heavily is wrong but that’s the way it works I know

 

[Bulldogs85]

Yes this is something everyone should agree on really. People may have differing opinions on what level of ownership we should be taking for the actions of volunteers at the club in the 80s, but nobody should doubt for a second that the club in present time would absolutely not allow anything of this nature to occur.

In this day and age the sicko would have had to get working with children’s check . I just feel sorry for the victim and the horror he want through

 

[Dog 36]

In this day and age the sicko would have had to get working with children’s check . I just feel sorry for the victim and the horror he want through

There are many things in place now that did not exist 30 years ago that does not guarantee things like this wont happen again but certainly help minimise it.

Working with children checks
Procedures that must be followed when dealing with minor's in environments such as clubs, churches, schools etc
Procedures for using technology etc



As a society we have become better at protecting minor's these days but like I said there is no guarantee it wont happen again

 

[Dogs Rule]

Like I said earlier it's infuriating when perpetrators kick the bucket before they face justice and get thrown in prison to rot.

The AFL are swimming in cash - wonder if they will just leave the club to stump up?

 

[stefoid]

I just think no one would have even thought to speak up, if they'd even noticed. These people aren't actually open about what they do and even if someone noticed - they may not have unless they were alerted somehow - they would have felt embarrassed about confronting the bloke and probably rationalised to themselves that it "wasn't much" and "was only a one-off". Particularly if he was a friendly "mate" of everyone. People trade on how they are perceived.

It would be nothing to do with being 'embarrassed to confront the bloke'. It would be to keep it hush hush from the media.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Yep, Essendon supporters still celebrating the 12 flags they won in 12 team or less competitions.
it’s killing me that the club that brought the whole AFL into disrepute are the first supporters flinging s**t about this.

A glance at who are clustering around this thread like flies to shite, shows it’s the usual troll suspects, I wouldn’t expect anything better from them.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Probably some truth in this. It’s easier to rationalise it away without having to confront the enormity of what was really going on.

It’s easy to be critical now but let’s be honest - who among us would have done a whole lot better at that time? We’d certainly like to think we would.

From a much earlier report - maybe a year or two ago - I took it that a lot of people did know or at least suspected what was going on. I think the bloke already had a whispered reputation. Just like people had known of chronic abuse in the Catholic and other churches for decades.

But as in the churches they looked the other way. Too difficult. Too complex. Not my business. And so on.

I think these things were never spoken about, children were often accused of having sexualised behaviour and encouraging the abuse. We still live in an age where women are held responsible for sexual assaults because of where they were at the time.
Even now there is a hysterical response to stranger danger for children, when only a small percentage of children are abused by a stranger. The overall assaults are carried out by the trusted neighbour, grandfather, uncle, step father usually in the victims own home.
It’s easy to make a child keep secrets with threats of killing your parents or pets if you say anything, or you won’t be believed if you say something, or they will take you away.
Even my best friend and her older sister put up with years of sexual abuse by their father, thinking they were protecting their two younger siblings only to find out years later when they were adults, that they too had been abused.

 

[Dogs54]

In this day and age the sicko would have had to get working with children’s check . I just feel sorry for the victim and the horror he want through

The problem with the working with children check is it only identifies those who have been caught by the police.

 

[Norm De Guerre]

I just think no one would have even thought to speak up, if they'd even noticed.
These people aren't actually open about what they do and even if someone noticed - they may not have unless they were alerted somehow - they would have felt embarrassed about confronting the bloke and probably rationalised to themselves that it "wasn't much" and "was only a one-off". Particularly if he was a friendly "mate" of everyone. People trade on how they are perceived.

None of this lessons the complicity of anybody who may've known.

If it happened as you say then (and it probably did) all did was kick the can down the road in the hope that it would go off into the long grass forever.

Instead of "rationalising" what they saw or heard, they could've spoken up and saved the victim a lifetime of trauma and the club the indignity of being dragged through the courts for historical offences resulting in adverse findings and a multimillion dollar hole in its accounts.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

There are many things in place now that did not exist 30 years ago that does not guarantee things like this wont happen again but certainly help minimise it.

Working with children checks
Procedures that must be followed when dealing with minor's in environments such as clubs, churches, schools etc
Procedures for using technology etc



As a society we have become better at protecting minor's these days but like I said there is no guarantee it wont happen again

That grub who is in gaol facing over 1000 charges of child abuse had a blue card and worked with kids for over a decade. As I mentioned, they are good at concealing their activities.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

None of this lessons the complicity of anybody who may've known.

If it happened as you say then (and it probably did) all did was kick the can down the road in the hope that it would go off into the long grass forever.

Instead of "rationalising" what they saw or heard, they could've spoken up and saved the victim a lifetime of trauma and the club the indignity of being dragged through the courts for historical offences resulting in adverse findings and a multimillion dollar hole in its accounts.

Of course. It would be great if such wisdom existed in advance but life is just not like that though, is it. And certainly wasn’t all those decades ago. Sorry if I sound sarcastic, I don’t mean to be.

 

[sunny3193]

I’m not sure if I am in the right thread on your board.
I apologise if I am not.
And I am not here to throw stones.
The subject is too serious for that.
Saints have got their own issues within the management of our Little League teams in the 70’s.
I am actually seeking information about this recent compensation judgment.
Does anyone know if the damages are covered by the Club’s insurance, or is it a straight hit to the Club?
As I said, we have our own issues arising from the same guys who were found to be preying on kids at Beaumaris Primary.
If anyone knows, I’d appreciate it.

 

[doggies ftw]

I’m not sure if I am in the right thread on your board.
I apologise if I am not.
And I am not here to throw stones.
The subject is too serious for that.
Saints have got their own issues within the management of our Little League teams in the 70’s.
I am actually seeking information about this recent compensation judgment.
Does anyone know if the damages are covered by the Club’s insurance, or is it a straight hit to the Club?
As I said, we have our own issues arising from the same guys who were found to be preying on kids at Beaumaris Primary.
If anyone knows, I’d appreciate it.

We don’t really know the answer yet unfortunately - I would have thought insurance would cover something like this but as others have pointed out that insurance would likely have had to be in place at the time of the incident which is unlikely.

From the sounds of our CEOs comments that we’ll likely have to take out a loan to pay this it sounds like the damages will be paid directly out of our pocket…. But who knows if that’s true or not or just public speak - as we could in theory just cover it out of our cash reserves (although obviously severely deflating them in the process) and who knows if the AFL will get involved too considering like you mentioned there’s other cases that could go the same way. Even if there’s more victims that come out on this one it would be enough to kill a club, especially a small one like yours or ours.

So in short, we really don’t know at this stage

 

[Sentinel]

Another story here. Not too much more than we already knew. https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...t/news-story/81d896f867a71be6bd79bd6878716b07

The Western Bulldogs are expected to borrow money to cover a landmark $5.9 million compensation payout to child sex abuse survivor Adam Kneale.

Spoiler: Full Article

The Western Bulldogs are expected to borrow money to cover a landmark $5.9 million compensation payout to child sex abuse survivor Adam Kneale.
The Bulldogs, who will appeal the verdict, were shocked to be hit with the damages on Thursday, which totalled $5,943,151 in the largest payment awarded to an abuse survivor in Australia.
A Supreme Court jury on Thursday found the club – then known as Footscray – negligent in failing to stop volunteer Graeme Hobbs abusing Kneale between 1984 and 1990.
The club has some hope it can reduce the payout figure.

While the Bulldogs thought it was possible it could lose the Supreme Court trial and face damages, it hadn’t expected to be hit with such a large payment to the victim.
The club chose not to comment on Friday about how it would pay damages, but it’s expected a loan is the most likely course.
The AFL declined to comment on whether it would provide any assistance to any payout.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said on Friday he had been in contact with the Bulldogs following the verdict.
“I have spoken to the Western Bulldogs CEO (Ameet Bains) this morning, the Bulldogs said yesterday and the AFL confirms that, we are really sorry for the suffering that Adam Kneale suffered and also acknowledged the pain that he has continued to suffer,” Dillon told 3AW.
“We acknowledge it is a civil legal proceeding which the Bulldogs have said they will appeal.”

The Bulldogs denied they knew about the abuse.
Kneale maintained outside court on Thursday that he believed “wholeheartedly that (the club) knew what happened”.
Kneale’s lawyer Michael Magazanik said he had “no doubt there were other victims at the Western Oval in the early 1980s and I suspect we will see some of them shortly”.
When asked if he thought AFL clubs were aware of historical abuse cases, Dillon said: “things that happened 50 years ago, VFL clubs were very different then, what we want to do now is have our clubs in the AFL and all our community clubs places where people can have a great experience and we are going to continue to work on that.”
A jury decided that the Bulldogs must pay Kneale $3.25 million for pain and suffering, $2.6 million for loss of earnings and $87,573 for medical costs.
The Bulldogs were also ordered to pay Kneale’s legal costs.

 

[Bulldogs85]

Another story here. Not too much more than we already knew. https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...t/news-story/81d896f867a71be6bd79bd6878716b07

The Western Bulldogs are expected to borrow money to cover a landmark $5.9 million compensation payout to child sex abuse survivor Adam Kneale.

Spoiler: Full Article

The Western Bulldogs are expected to borrow money to cover a landmark $5.9 million compensation payout to child sex abuse survivor Adam Kneale.
The Bulldogs, who will appeal the verdict, were shocked to be hit with the damages on Thursday, which totalled $5,943,151 in the largest payment awarded to an abuse survivor in Australia.
A Supreme Court jury on Thursday found the club – then known as Footscray – negligent in failing to stop volunteer Graeme Hobbs abusing Kneale between 1984 and 1990.
The club has some hope it can reduce the payout figure.

While the Bulldogs thought it was possible it could lose the Supreme Court trial and face damages, it hadn’t expected to be hit with such a large payment to the victim.
The club chose not to comment on Friday about how it would pay damages, but it’s expected a loan is the most likely course.
The AFL declined to comment on whether it would provide any assistance to any payout.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said on Friday he had been in contact with the Bulldogs following the verdict.
“I have spoken to the Western Bulldogs CEO (Ameet Bains) this morning, the Bulldogs said yesterday and the AFL confirms that, we are really sorry for the suffering that Adam Kneale suffered and also acknowledged the pain that he has continued to suffer,” Dillon told 3AW.
“We acknowledge it is a civil legal proceeding which the Bulldogs have said they will appeal.”

The Bulldogs denied they knew about the abuse.
Kneale maintained outside court on Thursday that he believed “wholeheartedly that (the club) knew what happened”.
Kneale’s lawyer Michael Magazanik said he had “no doubt there were other victims at the Western Oval in the early 1980s and I suspect we will see some of them shortly”.
When asked if he thought AFL clubs were aware of historical abuse cases, Dillon said: “things that happened 50 years ago, VFL clubs were very different then, what we want to do now is have our clubs in the AFL and all our community clubs places where people can have a great experience and we are going to continue to work on that.”
A jury decided that the Bulldogs must pay Kneale $3.25 million for pain and suffering, $2.6 million for loss of earnings and $87,573 for medical costs.
The Bulldogs were also ordered to pay Kneale’s legal costs.

We just have to hope their wasn’t anymore victims

 

[gangsta deluxe]

I’ll just post this here without comment.

 

[Bulldogs85]

I’ll just post this here without comment.View attachment 1850001

$2m dollar fine for the loss of 4 lives WOW

 

[Hobdog]

Aren’t we also being sued by Picko?


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Bulldogs85]

Aren’t we also being sued by Picko?


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Yes the club and the doctors are being sued by Picko

 

[doggies ftw]

Aren’t we also being sued by Picko?


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Who else wants a piece?

Makes sense why we didn’t pay out Bevo and/or won’t go over the soft cap

 

[Norm De Guerre]

Of course. It would be great if such wisdom existed in advance but life is just not like that though, is it. And certainly wasn’t all those decades ago. Sorry if I sound sarcastic, I don’t mean to be.

It's all good. Im the last person on this board who could complain about a sarcastic response to one of my posts.

 

[Doggy Dan]

Let's not jump to conclusions, mate. There's a lot of water to go under the bridge before we know everything...

Seriously?
When did this occur? Before anyone was acutely aware of this stuff. Society in denial.
Kids were scared to tell anyone and paedophiles groom and come across as the nicest people on the planet. Most are family friends or relatives.
Some kiddie fiddler touched me up at a crowded public event when I was around 10 and my father was standing next to me - never told a soul. I don't blame my dad. I don't blame me. There's only one person to blame.
Saying all that, if anyone at the club was aware of it directly because they saw it or either the victim or perp told them, then they are complicit - but you do have to remember the times...most people thought they were doing their best to solve the problem by having a word to the parents to tell them to keep the kid away.

I don’t think Gordon was aware at the time but him saying he only found out about this in April of 2022 is either a lie or utter incompetence in his role.